Attack On Me Is A Reflection Of Panic In PDP –Labaran Maku

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, Nigeria 2015 Election Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

From Abdul Gafar Bello, Lafia – Immediate past Minister of Information Labaran Maku has attributed heavy attacks on him by some ruling PDP top Chieftains to the panic within it, as well as described their action as a demonstration of double standard.

Labaran Maku

In a statement issued Wednesday by his Campaign Organization Director of Publicity, Zakari Edego, the former Minister held that the import of the attacks “on the APGA governorship candidate clearly shows that there is panic in the PDP in Nasarawa State” following his emergence as the flag bearer of the opposition”.

Maku indicated that he found it “curious that Senate President, David Mark has remained mute over the defection in his own native Benue State of Former Minister of State for Trade and Investment Dr. Sam Ortom and former PDP National Chairman Senator Barnabas Germade who have gone all the way to the opposition APC to contest for the governorship and Senatorial positions respectively”.

He therefore queried: “Why has Senator Mark not condemned these defections from his native Benue state? Why the undue attention on Mr. Maku and Nasarawa State?

On allegation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s support to his defection, Maku who claimed the State PDP Governorship candidate, Alhaji Yusuf Agabi was “highly unpopular” affirmed that he never told anyone even while contesting for the governorship ticket in the PDP that the President was behind him, neither did he suggest to anyone when he decamped to APGA that President Jonathan supported his decision.

“Another pertinent question to ask is why scheme out a loyal party member who stood by the party and defended its policies and programmes at the state and national level for many years only to turn around to use his loyalty against him?

“The real issue in Nasarawa state is that some people within and outside the state believe that no Christian should ever be governor of Nasarawa state. Therefore, Mr. Maku is being persecuted purely for religious reasons.

“The attacks on him are orchestrated to sustain the status quo in Nasarawa, which is already leading to destruction of the state by insurgents and mercenaries. This development portends danger to the future unity and development of Nasarawa state and our dear country” Maku established.

The former image maker of President Jonathan’s administration accused that the PDP primaries were marred by irregularities including the change of delegates’ list and the manipulation of religion to impose Alhaji Agabi as candidate, adding that some delegates’ lives were openly threatened at the ill-fated exercise, at Nasarawa town if they voted for Mr. Maku.

The former Minister revealed that before his exit from the PDP, he followed due process to seek redress over the bungled governorship primary including petitioning the party Governorship Primaries Appeal Panel under the chairmanship of the National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mua’zu on the irregularities and other anti-democratic activities that led to the imposition of Alhaji Agabi as the PDP candidate.

“However, the Appeal Panel neither acknowledged nor invited Mr. Maku to defend the appeal he filed against the conduct of the governorship primary election.

“Since loyalty is crucial in party politics, why was Mr. Maku, a loyal party member and leader of the party in Nasarawa state for four years schemed out of the PDP primaries on the basis of religion? Ex Minister posed.

The statement said Maku’ s well considered decision to leave PDP for APGA was actually intended to bring out the real hidden issues that have continued to undermine the unity and development of Nasarawa State.

It would be recalled Maku was heavily criticized and condemned by Senate President, Senator Ahmadu Ali and Jonathan Tuesday, in Jos, the Plateau State capital during the Presidential rally, as he was labeled an ingrate, a liar and disloyal member of the ruling PDP.